Deadly Semi Crash Claims a Life

Collisions with semi-trucks often result in motorists suffering significant personal injuries or even death. Factors that make these accidents so dangerous and fatal are due to the fact that these collisions often occur on highways where trucks and cars are driving at much faster speeds, and due to the fact that semi-trucks are much larger in both size and weight. Combining fast speeds with large size and weight, makes for a much more dangerous accident than typical motor vehicle accidents between passenger vehicles.

Last week, a collision with a semi-truck caused the death of a woman from Princeton, Illinois, according to the Star Courier. The victim was a passenger in a car driving on Route 40 near Manlius, Illinois when the car in which she was riding collided with semi-truck. The Bureau County Coroner pronounced the woman dead at the scene of the accident. The preliminary accident report indicated that the victim’s vehicle was travelling eastbound on 1745 North Avenue, and the semi was driving northbound on Route 40. The car entered the intersection and stopped in the path of the semi-truck. The driver of the semi said he tried to avoid hitting the car but could not do so in time. Another nearby car also had to steer around the victim’s car to avoid a collision as well. This accident remains under investigation by the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department and coroner’s office and by the Illinois State Police.

When drivers take to the roads, they should not only be worried about their own well-being but legally have a duty to maintain safe driving conditions for others on the road, including passengers in their own car. Where a driver acts recklessly or without caution, they create danger on the road and higher probability for car accidents. Thus, the driver in this situation was not acting in a safe manner by stopping in the path of the oncoming semi-truck. But for her negligence, these dangers would not have existed, and the collision and resulting death would not have occurred. It is this recklessness and lack of caution that is the cause of the accident at issue. Since the driver could potentially be pointed to as the cause of the accident due to her negligence, she could be held liable for the wrongful death of the victim.

Our firm both understands and empathizes with those who are victims of collisions due to the reckless behavior of others. If you or a loved one has been injured as a passenger while another was driving, you may be able to hold that driver liable for their negligence. Our firm has been helping victims of motor vehicle accidents obtain compensation and justice for their injuries since 1992, and would be happy to evaluate your potential cause of action and discuss your legal rights with you. Please call us for a free consultation, and we can help you determine if you have a legal cause of action against a negligent driver.

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The purpose of this blog is to deliver news and information that is relevant to our areas of practice. The news and information reported on this blog represent the legal actions of attorneys throughout the United States. Our firm does not claim to represent plaintiffs in all of the lawsuits, settlements, and jury verdicts reported, only those noted as Levin & Perconti cases.